Faults:

Had a lot of work to the suspension recently. Acceptable at the mileage. The car was already 10 years old when I bought it and already had a few expensive repairs (the usual common diesel engine trouble), but nothing too serious. I keep it serviced on time and it has not let me down so far. Interior is wearing very well for a car that is now 14 years old. Exterior is also looking good, but there is very small rust patches starting here and there. Again, nothing out of the ordinary for an older car.

General Comments:

Growing up I had always liked BMW's saloons and coupes, so when the 1 series came out I never thought much about it, I thought it just looked like another boring hatchback car that you see everywhere. In all fairness it is a quality car once you own and drive one.

Be under no illusion however, they can still be expensive to run for a smaller family car in regards to repairs. Compared to my previous boring but good to drive and reliable Ford Focus, the car is a bit more exciting, but not by much. I love the handling and the interior just has such a nice quality feel. This 118d has a 2.0 turbo diesel engine that is fast and economical. Can still easily achieve around 60 mpg, excellent for a 2008 car.

SE model is pretty basic, but the car still has all electrics and air con. Quiet and smooth to drive around town and on motorways also.

In silver, which is a very common color, the car looks like any other hatchback on the road, in my opinion that is its only let down, it is not the most exciting car to look at. If BMW styled it a bit better I think they would have the perfect family car that would appeal to all buyers, but it is just too boring looking. Not ugly, just bland.

Overall the car is better than I expected, but don't expect anything too exciting, unless you go for the faster versions.

Faults:

Since year one, many electronic issues have gone wrong. More than in all the cars combined that I have owned since 1989.

Mechanically the car seems fine, but the electronics and warning lamps and sensors have caused non stop headaches for years now, and it's only getting worse.

Specifically this year (2014), the passenger window collapsed because a clamp failed, which caused an over 1k fix to replace the clamp and reprogram the window system/car. While this happened, I got my car back from a BMW dealer and service center, which fixed the original problem for a ton of $, but returned my car to me with new issues that did not exist when I gave my car to them. They won't take responsibility for what happened on their watch on their property, and my electronic BMW woes go on and on, worse and worse and worse. It's a never ending cycle of headaches and expense, which makes me never want to get a BMW again. It's a shame because I have owned BMW's since 1996. Because I feel ignored and not taken care of, I am abandoning BMW, which I never thought I would.

General Comments:

The car looks good. It's a tight inside with a small trunk. Small gas tank. Overall it is a fun car, mainly in the warm weather. It does not handle bumps well, especially on turns and ramps. I just would not recommend it unless you are petite with petite passengers, and don't have much need for a trunk. For me, a 6 foot male adult, this car was a bad idea.

Bang for the buck? Probably a yes for a German topless car. If comparing to all cars, this car should not make the list for the 40k range.

The run flat system failed me, with no warning that the tire had been flat for over 50 miles, and it nearly caused a terrible accident.

If you buy this car, definitely get the tire insurance and extend your warranty. You will need every bit of it. Without it (like me), you may wind up spending way more than you ever thought, keeping up with the nonsense electronic issues.